Heat-treating furnace



July 8, 1930. P, w, MCCOY ET AL 1,770,081

HEAT TREATING FURNACE Filed Dec. 21, 1928 law. Bye.

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INVENTURS PM M660 J/Z/V/isuRy KZ AZ4 ATTORNEY Patented July 8,1930

NITE sTAres "1 l \-rErr!"- OFFICE PHILIP w. moor AND :rosnrrr A. MASUI'RY, on 'ronnno, .onro, assrenon. To run suit- FACE COMBUSTION (.70.,INCORPORATED, OF TOLEDO, OHIO,-A CORPOBATION OF NEW YORK HEAT-TREATING FURNACE Appfication i iled December 21,- 1928. Serial no. 327,508.

This invention relates to improvements in heat-treating furnaces and more particularly to means for moving work through the'furnace.

' It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and practical means for moving relatively small work such-as screws,lnuts, bolts, rings and the like through the furnace.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a. relatively stationary inclined chute which may be put into a state ofvibration by being hammered by suitable hammering means, the objects resting. on the chute moving down theincline when the chute is in a state of vibration but not otherwise;

For a more complete understandin ofthe invention reference ismade to the etailed' description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, 5

- Fig. 1 is a vertical section throu h a'heattreating furnace containing the 1nvention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the furnace viewedfrom the right of Fig. 1, the means for hammering the chute being omitted for simplicity of showing. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear endelevation showing how the upper end of the chut may be supported and also showing the hopger therefor. Fig. dis a cross section of a modified form of chute.

The furnace itself may be'of any suitable formand construction. As shown it comprises a generally rectangular heating-chamber 10 in the side wall of which are burners 12 for heating the chamber. w

The chute extends across the heating chamher and may or may not be covered. In the drawings, two chutes are shown, numeral 14 indicating the same. As many chutes may be provided in one heating chamber as may be desired and they areconveniently ar-- ranged side by side in spaced relation.

The chute is made of relatively thin metal so as to enable it the more readily to be put into a state of vibration. It is mounted in a plane out of the horizontal but not suilicient- 1y inclined to cause the fiat or elongated objects to slide down the incline by gravity alone. The degree of inclination must be such as to cause the work or objects to be heat-treated to move slowly down the incline when the chute is vibrated by means hereinafter described.

a manner'as will permit it to vibrate without imparting destructive stresses to the walls of the heat-ingv chamber. "The work receiving end of the chute extends through an openin 16 in the chamber wall and the lower en through an opening 18 in the opposite wall. Any suitable or preferred manner of supporting the chute may be employed. As shown in the drawings, the upper end of the chute is connected to a transversely extending rod 20 which at itsends is received in hangers 22 which in turn are supported by springs 24 resting on ledges 26 formed on a bracket 28 secured to the furnace wall, the

hangers passingthrough the springs. The "upper end'of the chute is, therefore, resiliently supported. Where a plurality of chutes are employed, intermediate'hangers-22? may also be employed as will be-readily under stood. Y

e The lower end of'the chute is also resiliently supported in any suitable or preferred The chute is supported at its ends in suchmanner. As shown a crossbar '30 is supported at its ends between top and bottom springs 32 and 34 held in place between top and bottom ledges 36 formed' on a bracket 38 secured to the furnace. .An u right rod 40 between the ledges serves to con e the bar 30 to'up and down movement as will be readily understood. Depending from the bar 30 is chute is anchored for support.

As previously stated the chute 'is adapted to be put into a state of vibration for'the urpose of causing the articles or work to be heat-treated to move down the incline. Vibration is impartedto the chute by hammerlike blows at anysuitablepoint or points. For purpose of illustration, there is shown a simple hammering device comprising a spring pressed plunger 44.- adapted to be set for release by a cam 46 which is rotated by any suitable motive means. As the hammer or plunger 44 strikes the adjacent end of the chute a succession of sharp blows, the shock ioo 85 a hanger 42 to which extension 14 of the will be readily appreciated that the incline 1 of the chute must be less than the angle of .repose otherwise the downwardv movement of the articles having been once initiated cannot be controlled. The less the de ee .ofinclination thelongerw'illit take t e objectsto move the length of the chute as will be ward movement ofthe objects own the'chute can be controlled to a nicety.

. It is to be "understood that thehammering device sho'wn is merely illustrative of any suitable means for imparting vibration to the chute, such for example as the well-known air and electrically operated hammers. It is also to be understoodth'at the blows need not be localized at any particular place on the chute.

-The force of the blows required to set up vibration in the chute will, of course, depend on the thickness of the chute and its general stiffness.

The chute should, therefore, be made of relatively thin sheet metal and be of sufficient width and length to accomplish the end in view.

Where relatively long objects such as screws and pins are to be heat-treated it is desirable to -make the bottom of the chute of longitudinally channelled form as indicated in Fig. 4 in order that they may disposeor less uniform.layer of.the articles on the chute obtained. The articles may be fed to the chute from a hopper adjacent the upper end thereof.

The articles may be discharged from the chuteeitherwithin or without the furnace.

As shown they are dischar ed through a botous changes in-the form and location of the a various parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which, as will now beun'derstood, consists essentially of a chute or guide-way adapted to be put into a state of vibration to cause the objects to move down the incline assisted by gravity.

' What isclaimed. is:

1. In combination, a heating chamber, an

inclined relatively "stationary chute within the heating chamber and adapted when hamhammering the chute to set upv said vibrainclined relatively stationary chute within readily understood.- By raising or loweringv the upper end of the chute the s eed of downthe heating chamber and adapted when hammered to vibrate with suflicien't' intensity to cause articles reposing thereon to be sufliciently agitated. to move down the incline under. the influence of gravity, cushioned means for supporting the chute,xand meansihaving an anvil at one end, and means for hammering said anvil.

4. In combination, a. heating chamber, an inclined relatively stationary chute within the heating chamber and adapted when hammered to vibrate with sufl'icient intensity to cause articles reposing thereon to be sufiiciently agitated to move down the incline under the influence of gravit ,said chute bein g longitudinally corrugate to form articlereceiving paths, and means for hammering the chute to produce said vibrations.

5. In combination, a heating chamber, an inclined relatively stationary chute within the heatingchamber and adapted when hammered to vibrate with suflicient intensity to cause articles reposing thereon --to be sufliciently agitated to move down the incline under the influence of gravity, 'means at, opposite ends of said chute for supporting it, a hopper at one end of said chute, and means at the other end .of the chute for hammering it to set up said vibrations.

6 In combination, a heating chamber, a relatively stationary inclined chute, said chute having a bottom openin intermediate its ends for the discharge of material, an anvil at one end'of said chute, and hammering means for setting up vibration in the chute. PHILIP WM. MCCOY. JOSEPH'A. MASURY. 

